Forgiveness

Recently I had to talk to someone who has hurt me beyond words and ask for their forgiveness for being angry, bitter and probably even mean at times toward them. I also had to say with all my heart that I choose to forgive them.

What a powerful statement. Do we truly choose to forgive those who have hurt us? Is it our place to forgive in the first place? Scripture tells us that, we forgive and we love because Christ first loved and forgave us. We don't really get an option to not forgive. However, the Lord gives us a choice whether we will forgive or not in our hearts.

All I can say is that it was a burden lifted when I knew I had did what God wanted me to in asking for forgiveness (especially when I don't think I was completely responsible for the hurt, but that's beside the point) and giving forgiveness to a person who didn't ask for it before or afterwards. I have a daily choice, to allow the hurt and those wounds to be healed and forgive that person, until the hurt and wounds don't hurt anymore.

When I almost didn't go through with this meeting to deal with this issue of forgiveness, a friend told me, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Sure enough it is. The cool thing is that we feel much less burdened by things that we don't even need to carry, when we are obedient to the Lord.

Thank you Father for giving me strength to be obedient to you. Father, thank you for your forgiveness that you chose to show by allowing Christ to die on the cross in my place. Thank you that I can share in the inheritance of the saints because of that forgiveness. Father, help me to chose each day to forgive those who have, who are and who will hurt me. Father, give me you love for them. Father, work in me and work it out in my to do Your good pleasure. "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever." (Psalm 86:11-12)